Clothesline manipulator



April l1, 1950 D. M. MaCKENzlE CLOTHESLINE MANPULATOR Filed Sept. 27, 1946 Patented Apr. 11, 1950 cLoTHEsLINE MANIPULATOR Douglas Malcohn MacKenzie, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application September 27, 1946, Serial No. 699,867

6 Claims. 1 This' invention relates to a spreading device for clothes-lines of the type inv which the gripping power of two or more twisted strands of wire or rope, held under tension is employed to grip, between the lines, articles suspended therefrom and thereby eliminate the use of clothes'` pins or clothes pegs.

Clothes-lines comprising two strands of material, such as wire orrope, more or less permanently twisted together for securing articles between the twisted strands are relatively well known. Also, devicesy for spreading short lengths of the twisted strands to permit the insertion or withdrawal of articles are known.

In general, the twisted clothes-line of the prior art comprises two strands of wire more or less permanently twisted together under tension on a relatively long pitch. A spreader comprising a frame having a rotatable disc. mounted therein is secured adjacent to one or other of the pulleys over which the clothes-line is extended. Two holes are bored in the disc and a strand of the clothes-line is passed through each of the holes. The twisted strands are separated and spread apart for a short distance of their length adjacent to the spreading device by drawing the clothes-line towards and through the spreader, the rotation of the disc serving to untwist the strands as the line approaches the spreader and to hold them separated for a short distance after t they leave the spreader, the rotation of the disc in its frame making this possible. AnA alternative arrangement is. that i-n which the clothes-line is of the non-movable type and the spreading device is adapted to be moved along the clothes-line from one fixed end to the other.

The design of the twisted clothes-line oifers no particular diiiiculties in its manufacture and use. However, it is found, in the application of this type of clothes-line onV a commercial scale, that the spreader is subject to important dilncultiesin that the rotating member tends to bind orseize in its frame due to the separate and angularly disposed stresses that are placed on the rotating disc, making it diiiicult,y if not impossible, to spread the lines.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a spreading device by means of which two or more twisted strands of clothes-line may be spread readily at the point or points required, without danger of binding or seizing.

A further object of theY invention is to provide aV spreader in which the movable' parts are freely rotatable within their housing regardless of. the angular disposition .of4 the forces acting upon (Cl. 2li-4.19.13)

them, and in which the tendency to bind or seize is eliminated.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a spreading device for twisted clotheslines which may be employed for separating and spreading, without danger of binding or seizing,y the twisted strands of a clothes-line comprised of two, three, four or more strands.

A further important object of the invention is` to provide a spreading device which may be manufactured. inexpensively and which is easily assembled and installed.v

The spreading device of the. present` invention comprises in general, a housing` having a circumferential groove in the internal wall thereof, at least two main shafts angularlyv disposed toy each other and intersecting and connecting at their centres freely rotatable asa unit" within the housing with the groove forming a track for the free ends of the shafts, and freely rotatable grooved rollers carried by the shafts' adapted to support the separated individual strands of a normally twisted clothes line extended through the housing.

An understanding of the manner in which the above andother objects of the` invention are attained may be obtained from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a form of an endless twisted clothes-line;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional side elevation of al spreading device incorporating the improvements of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view;

Figure" 5 is a section taken along the line 5 5', Figure 2; and' y Figure 6 is a top plan view of an alternative modification of the invention.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the speciiication and drawings.

The clothes-line illustrated in Figure 1 com-- prises two or morefstrand's l!!v of Wire or ropemore or less permanently twisted together on arela-` tively long pitch. The clothes-line is ofthe endless type and is extended over spaced apartr pulleys I`| and l2 rotatably journalledinframes. I 31 which are, normally, carried by standards or oth-- er suitably supporting, members;

The spreading. device comprises a housing, andv a rotatable unit comprisedot at leastd twoshafts: angularly disposed to each other and intersecting, andA connected` at their centres mounted-fin'.

the housing for free rotation as a unit therein. Means, such as grooved rollers or pulleys, are carried by the shafts for supporting individual, separated strands of the normally twisted clothes-line extended through the housing and further means may be provided for attaching the housing and associated parts adjacent to one or other of the pulleys Il and I2.

As a specific embodiment of the invention, the housing comprises an open ended cylindrical body I4 formed of metal or other rigid material. One end of the housing is formed with an inturned flange I5, the internal face of which provides a seat for the rotatable unit described in detail hereinafter. A removable collar I6 is provided for the opposite end of the housing, being adapted to nt snugly in the open end of the housing with its internal face resting lightly on, but not binding against, the rotatable unit, the space between the flange I5 and the collar I6 forming a track for the rotatable unit. When the spreader device is completely assembled, the collar I6 may be secured firmly in place by any suitable manner, such as, for example, by threading the ends of the members Il into threaded bores I8 drilled into the top faces of the housing and collar at the lines of intersection of the two parts. The free ends of the members l'l are inturned to form, in effect, a yoke which is detachably securable to the spaced apart members of the pulley frame I3.

The rotatable unit comprises at least two intersecting axles or shafts I9 and 26. As illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and d, the shafts I9 and 20 are shown as intersecting at right angles, being joined together at their centres for rotation as a unit. More than two shafts may be employed if desired, but it has been found that for normal use, two shafts provide sufficient bearing surface to prevent binding. The shafts are preferably reduced in diameter at their ends to provide mounts for the wheels 2l which bear against the opposing faces of the housing to provide, in effect, a substantially frictionless bearing surface between the rotatable unit and the opposing faces of the housing.

In the modification of the invention illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, two grooved rollers or sheaves 22 are rotatably mounted on the shaft 20, being spaced apart by the parallel shaft I9. In the modification of the invention illustrated in Figure 6, a plurality of grooved rollers or sheaves, for example, four, are shown as carried by the shafts i9 and 2B. In this latter modication, a body 24 may be secured to the axles I9 and 20, andthe sheaves 23 rotatably secured to this body. Alternatively, members 24, such as short pins, may be extended from `one main shaft to the other and the sheaves 23 pivotally mounted on those members. An individual strand of the twisted clothes-line is passed over each sheave or pulley.

I have found the spreading device of the present invention has a number of important advantages over the spreading devices of the prior art. For example, the arrangement 0f the main shafts reinforces the assembly against the twisting effect of the twisted wires to eliminate any possibility of binding or seizing in the operation of the device. Also, the provision of the wheels or rollers 2l provides, in effect, a bearing surface substantially free from friction in the rotation of the main shafts in the untwisting of the strands of the clothes-line. Also, the modification illustrated in Figure 6 has a further important advantage in that it permits of a substantial improvement in the types of clothes-lines which may be employed with this device. The clothes-lines of the prior art are, of necessity, limited to two strands of wire or rope. It has been found by employing a plurality of strands, for example, three or four or more strands, that improved results are obtained in that the articles held by the clothes-line are gripped more tightly with less danger of becoming detached therefrom, while, at the same time, lighter and more flexible strands may be employed which eases the operation of the device and extends its useful life.

The device is simple in its assembly and operation. When it is used with an endless clothesline, the individual separated strands at one end may be passed over each sheave 22 prior to joining the ends together. The yoke formed by the free ends of the members Il is secured to a frame I3 and the assembly is ready for use after attaching the frames I3 to suitable standards. If the device is to be used with a non-movable clothes-line, it may be carried by and movable on the clothes-line from one end to the other.

It will be understood that modifications and departures may be made in the preferred embodiment of the device described and illustrated herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A device for spreading the strands of a twisted clothes line which comprises a housing having a circumferential groove in the internal wall thereof, at least two main shafts angularly disposed to each other and intersecting and connecting at their centres freely rotatable as a unit within the housing with said groove forming a track for the free ends of the shafts, and freely rotatable grooved rollers carried by said shafts adapted to support the separated individual strands of a normally twisted clothes line extended through the housing.

2. A device for spreading the strands of a twisted clothes line which comprises a cylindrical t) housing having open ends, a circumferential groove in the internal wall of the housing, at

least two main shafts angularly disposed to each other and intersecting and connecting at their centres freely rotatable as a unit within the housing with said groove forming a track for the free ends of the shafts, and freely rotatable grooved rollers carried by said shafts and adapted to support the separated individual strands of a normally twisted clothes line extended through the housing.

3. A device for spreading the strands of a twisted clothes line which comprises a housing having a circumferential groove in the internal wall thereof, at least two main shafts angularly disposed to each other and intersecting and connecting at their centres freely rotatable as a unit with said groove forming a track for the free ends of said shafts, rollers rotatably mounted on the free ends of said shafts adapted to support said shafts in said track, and freely rotatable grooved rollers carried by said shafts and adapted to support the separated, individual strands of a normally twisted clothes line extended through the housing.

4. A device for spreading the strands of a twisted clothes line which comprises a housing having a circumferential groove in the internal wall thereof, at least two main shafts angularly disposed to each other and intersecting and connecting at their centres freely rotatable as a unit within the housing with said groove forming a track for the free ends of the shafts, and freely rotatable grooved rollers rotatably mounted on said shafts adapted to support the separated,in' dividual strands of a normally twisted clothesline extended through the housing.

5. A device for spreading the strands of a twisted clothes line which comprises a cylindrical housing having a circumferential groove in the internal wall between the ends thereof, at least two shafts angularly disposed to each other and intersecting and connected at their centres freely rotatable as a unit within the housing with the groove forming a track for the free ends of the shafts, a frame comprised of members spaced from the centre of said shafts and supported by said shafts, and grooved rollers rotatably mounted on said members adapted to support the separated, individual strands of a normally twisted clothes line extended through the housing.

6. A device for spreading the strands of a twisted clothes line which comprises a cylindrical housing having an inturned flange at one end, a collar ttable into the opposite end in spaced REFERENCES CITED The following references are of' record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,805,800 Berger May 19, 1931 1,943,433 Heighton Jan.- 16, 1934 2,056,481 Pauli Oct. 6, 1936 2,407,387 Seymour Sept. 10, 1946 

